Zutara Week 2012
by sholvakree
Summary: Reflections on seven words and the events they represent in a romantic relationship that never was but should have been. Four chapters are ATLA-verse, three are AU. Rated M for language, character death and sexual content. Characters are property of Bryke and Nickelodeon.
1. Serendipity

_**In which things are lost and found.**_

* * *

_I knew we should've drawn a map or something, _thought Katara.

Seven years, a daughter and countless political nightmares later, the Fire Nation's royal couple was getting their first proper vacation away from a frantic and exhausting life at court. Their precocious youngster was left in the loving arms of her grandmother, and Zuko happily gave over the reins of the realm to his squabbling advisors. Hopefully no permanent damage would be done during the two week stay in Ba Sing Se.

Iroh had done well for himself in the seven years since Sozin's Comet, so much so that he was able to open a second tea shop, thus turning the Jasmine Dragon into a franchised institution. He had also been shrewd enough to ingratiate himself with the existing tea houses in the city, making them see him not as a competitive and insanely successful rival, but as a man who loved tea and wanted to make sure that others did as well. They were actually celebrating his new shop by holding a private tea tasting in his honor. When Iroh heard that his nephew and Katara were coming to town, he invited them to tag along (with the promise that no one would even _think_ of asking the Fire Lord and his consort for royal patronage).

Unfortunately for Zuko and Katara, Iroh had been busy running the tea shop and an odd accident involving a hawk, three wrestlers and a wobbly chair had sent the Grand Master scrambling to the market for furnace parts. He hastily gave them some verbal directions to the tasting spot and went off to the blacksmith. "I'll meet you at the party!" He yelled as he dashed down the street. "You are both in for some _excellent _tea!"

"Uncle, I'm not sure we can-"

"Don't worry about the directions! I have every confidence in your navigation abilities – both of you!"

Two hours and a brainful of frustration and confusion later, Katara was just about done.

_This is getting ridiculous_.

"Where _exactly_ did Iroh say this tea tasting was again?" she asked Zuko.

Zuko scowled. "Two blocks past the market, left past the woodshop, a right turn past the weird estate buildings, and straight on to 'this-place-doesn't-exist' street."

Katara gave him a quick squeeze around the waist. "I'm sure we'll find it eventually."

Zuko turned and gave her a knowing look.

_Yeah, even I don't believe my own line_, thought Katara disappointedly. "Okay. Hopeful optimism not really helping at this point. So…" Zuko yelped as she grabbed his hand and dragged him to the left. "…we're going this way."

"What? I don't even think that's the right direction!"

"I'll show you 'right direction,' mister! And we're hopelessly lost as it is, which means that we're more likely to stumble on it by accident."

Zuko scratched his head with his free hand while his wife pulled him by the other. "Maybe we should ask for directions one more time-"

"-and get the same answer as the other seven times? I'd rather just press our luck," replied Katara determinedly.

Their travels took them into an area densely packed with houses and forced them through a series of narrow alleyways with shadowy awnings. As they walked further and further along, the houses began to look ancient and run down.

"Looks like we've stumbled into one of the older parts of the city," said Katara.

Overhead the sky turned pink, orange and red in the light of the descending sun.

"It's getting late. We should probably head back," said Zuko worriedly. "These alleys just scream 'robbery setup' to me."

"We can take care of ourselves," replied Katara firmly. "And I'll be damned if our daughter grows up without us." She smiled. "To be honest, I kinda miss the old days. I'd take a straight-up brawl over court sniping and political intrigue any day. Back then, when you had a fight, someone won and someone lost. Now, at court, I never really know who is winning and losing anymore."

"I could run around and chase you if you like," said Zuko seductively. "You know, really relive the _old_ old days."

"Hmm…when you put it like that, chasing me sounds posit – what was that?"

"What is it?" said Zuko, who had instantly taken a firebending stance. "Is someone coming? I knew we should've brought bodyguards on this trip…"

"No, I don't think we're under attack," said Katara, puzzled. "I thought I heard…look Zuko, steps," she said. "Come on; let's see what's making this noise." She started climbing, a wary Zuko right at her heels.

When they reached the top, they could only stare in amazement.

They had come to a large, square balcony that looked like the remains of a private garden. There was a small, empty pool in the middle; inside it stood a stone statue, broken at the waist. The grass, though long and unkempt, looked soft and inviting. Flowers of all sorts had taken root over the years – jasmine, orchids, chrysanthemums, and more – all fragrant and beautiful in the glowing twilight. There was even a small plum tree, three small fruits tenuously attached to its frail branches.

Zuko walked over and gingerly picked one. He bit into, careful not to get any of the juice on his robes (silk stains were a pain for the maids back home).

It was delicious.

"Hey Zuko," called Katara.

Still munching away at the fruit, Zuko walked over to his wife, who was pointing at something in the pool. A piece of wood, probably the remnant of an old bench, was leaning against the statue. The wind must've blown it hard enough to lift it up and knock it back against the stone.

"I think we've found our culprit," she said as she picked up the fragment and tossed it aside. When she stood back up, there was a curious expression on her face. "I think this pool was once a fountain; I might be able to get it working again. Something's blocking the pipe though – they probably closed the line when this place was abandoned. Luckily, I don't think the earth's that thick – there's a thin trickle of water streaming through. I can use icicles to try and punch through the seal. Give me a second-"

Katara gave the air an open-handed punch three times in rapid succession. Then, after taking a deep breath, she gave one last punch. There was four seconds of silence, then a gurgle, and then the fountain was suddenly spurting water around the edges. A stream also erupted from the waist of the statue, though without its original channels water started spraying everywhere. Katara shrieked and leapt back.

"Maybe we should keep our distance," she said, turning towards the worn, stone railings.

Zuko felt a tug on his shoulder. "Zuko, look," murmured Katara, who pulled him over to the edge.

It was one of the most magnificent views Zuko had ever laid his eyes on. The whole of Ba Sing Se was spread before them, and in the warm glow of twilight, the city had never looked more beautiful. The great wall in the distance had turned almost golden in the fading light, and the rows of houses seemed to glitter and shimmer. The people in the distant market still appeared small, even though the balcony itself wasn't terribly high up.

Zuko looked over at his beautiful wife, who was staring intently at the sight before them. He placed his left hand on her shoulder.

Katara brought hers across her chest to squeeze his.

The tea tasting was quickly forgotten.

(***)

After night fell, they lay on the grass and pointed out the stars, listened to the sounds of the city, the quiet trickling of the fountain behind them.

They argued about their daughter's education, going back and forth about giving her private tutors or placing her in public schooling to interact with her future subjects.

Then they were playing with each other's hands and then she was playing with his shirt and then she was removing it and he was undoing her robes to kiss her soft breasts and then she was on her back and her nails were digging into his flesh and she _quivered_ every time he moaned her name and afterwards they lay sticky and sweaty on the grass and her head was resting against his chest.

And while _not giving a shit _about being naked and messy and _the rulers of the Fire Nation for spirits' sake!_ the happy couple drifted off to sleep, nestled in their secret garden.

(***)

They made their way back to the Jasmine Dragon in the morning, both thoroughly disheveled and still thinking about the previous night. Iroh, who had been standing anxiously outside the restaurant since before sunrise, ran up to greet them.

"I was so worried! " began Iroh. "We missed you at the tasting and my housekeeper said you didn't come back last night. I slept in the shop," he added hastily. "Didn't want to walk all the way back home at such a late hour. When I went home to change clothes, Ling Tse told me of your prolonged absence. What happened to you?"

"We…" began Zuko sheepishly, "…we got lost." He gave Katara a look, one that Iroh recognized from his own romantic experiences.

The general smirked. "You two found something much nicer than tea, I gather," he said slyly.

Katara blushed and Zuko scowled in embarrassment, but Iroh merely laughed, brought them inside and sat them down at a table. "A good breakfast, that's what you two need. And some of this new tea my friends showed me last night. It's quite invigorating…"


	2. Momentous

**_In which an important phone call takes place. _**(conversation begins with Zuko)

* * *

"So…?"

"So."

"When did…?"

"When do you think?

"…oh."

"Yep."

"I guess that makes sense."

"You were quite the animal that afternoon, even if it was only a quickie in the airport bathroom."

"I hadn't seen you in a month. And then I was gone again for two months after that…I'm a horrible husband."

"You should work on that. It gets very…_lonely_, without you."

"I'm sure you find ways to…_entertain_ yourself when I'm not around."

"I _do_. But it's just not the same."

"I can only imagine…in fact, I'm imagining it right now."

"Something to get you through those long executive board meetings?"

"Something I'd like to see later this evening."

"…well…um…I mean, that's kind of…I didn't know you got off on that."

"Given the amount of time we've spent apart of late, I'm surprised either of us remembers what gets us off. But I intend to rectify that. Maybe after dinner?"

"Promises, promises."

"Not a promise, a fact. I already had my schedule cleared – no phones, no work, no interruptions. It's just you, me, homemade risotto and some vintage wine – well I guess the wine's out now."

"That's a yes. And I'm glad we're doing this."

"So am I. I've missed you."

"And I've missed you…truth be told, if the clinic wasn't so shorthanded my hormones would've had me bent over your office desk hours ago."

"For once, I'm disappointed that you made the honorable choice to stay and work."

"I figured you might be."

"…"

"What is it?"

"…we've going to have a baby."

"You never know. It might be two. Or three. Or more."

"…shit."

"Stop worrying. We planned for this eventuality. We've been saving. It'll be fine."

"I know…and this is _great_…but-"

"**You're going to be a terrific father**_._ We're not going down this road again. You say the 'O'-word and I **swear** **by Buddha** that you will _not_ be tapping this magnificent ass tonight, no matter how badly I want you in me."

"I would _hate_ to leave the lady unsatisfied."

"I'm glad we came to an understanding. I'll see you at home, hon. And Zuko?"

"Yes Katara?"

"I love you."

"Forever?"

"Fivever."

*click*

Zuko sank back into his office chair, completely dumbfounded and strangely joyful.

**He was going to be a father.**


	3. Transcend

_**In which someone has an out-of-body experience.**_

* * *

The poisoning was unexpected, its results immediate, and the aftermath terrifying.

One moment Zuko was laughing at one of Sokka's few _good_ jokes.

The next moment he was bent over, blood streaming from his mouth.

He could hear someone shouting for the guards – and now he was on his side and couldn't remember falling over – and now he was on his back. _When did that happen?_ He could see Katara's determined face looking down at him and a cool tingling sensation at his chest and throat. _She was trying to heal him…but what was going on…he couldn't feel anything-_

"Zuko! Zuko! Please, Zuko you have to stay awake, Zuko! ZUKO!"

"But Katara, I am awake!" he shouted. "Hell, I'm standing right her-" And that's when he noticed an unfortunate fact.

He was floating in the air.

His body was still on the floor.

(***)

"How could this happen?" said Aang worriedly.

"We didn't have our resident lie detector," said Sokka angrily. "Toph would've known if anyone entering the room felt overly nervous." He smiled bitterly. "Though I guess it's my fault she's not here. Being eight-and-a-half months pregnant really takes the appeal out of flying halfway across the world. And it might not have been a server, anyways." He paused. "It had to be the drinks. Everyone was eating the same food. We would've all been affected otherwise."

Zuko moved closer to the conversation.

"I really wish Katara would take a break," said Aang, his eyes softening. "She's been in healer mode ever since this happened."

"I don't see why she's continuing, to be honest," said Sokka. "The physicians said they have to let the antidotes do their work now." Zuko and Aang gave him disapproving looks; Sokka only noticed the latter's. "Don't give me that stinkeye, Twinkletoes." Zuko smirked as Aang's face twitched slightly. "I know my sister means well. Her healing almost certainly saved his life right after the poisoning happened. But it's not like Zuko got a stab wound or was hit by lightning. Poison's a different animal altogether, and her waterbending isn't going to make things go any faster…though I wish it did," he added sadly. "Hopefully Zuko wakes up."

"And if he doesn't?" said Aang.

"Then the Fire Nation will have its first waterbending Fire Lord in history," said Sokka grimly.

(***)

Zuko could float, pass through solid objects and see other spirit beings (it turned out that some of the palace ghost stories _were_ true), but he could not talk to anyone – which basically made the whole thing moot, as far as he was concerned.

It was…_odd_ to watch himself lying there as pale as a corpse and, according to the chatter of his physicians, nearly as cold as one. But Katara was there at every possible opportunity and, in blatant defiance of the advice given by her brother and many others, continued to try and heal him with her waterbending.

(***)

He followed Katara to the weekly advisors' roundtable. Everyone's eyes snapped to her the second she entered the room.

"My husband is currently incapable of discharging his duties as the ruler of the Fire Nation," said Katara, her eyes critically surveying every person at the table. "As such, I will henceforth act in his stead until he is fit to reassume the throne. I hope no one has any objections to this."

A hand went up.

"Is there something you'd like to say, Finance Minister?" she replied, internally bracing herself for the man's infamous patronization.

"Fire Lady Katara, perhaps it might be best if you left matters of the realm in the hands of this council," began Xian Lee in a simpering manner. "Your mind would be understandably divided between the enormous task of running the state and attending to our belovéd Zuko. Rest assured that we can amply manage-"

"Rest assured, _Lee_, that I am more than capable of running the country and making sure that my husband stays alive. I won a war when I was 14, or have you forgotten that?"

"That's my girl," said Zuko proudly, though no one could hear him.

"A shame that producing an heir is still a talent at which you fail spectacularly." The words were out of Lee's mouth before he could rein them in. He immediately blanched at this grave misstep.

There was a deafening silence in the room.

"And that's 'Fire Lord Katara,' if it please you, minister," she continued, pretending as if nothing had happened. "I hope for _both_ our sakes that it doesn't become a permanent addition to my name."

Though her eyes betrayed little other than determination, Zuko knew that Lee's words had drawn blood. Their fertility problems had been an unspoken issue and point of gossip since their wedding day. _That doesn't matter, love_, thought Zuko. _Keep the bastards in line_.

"Now, unless anyone has any _serious _objections to my regency…" Everyone, save for a thoroughly chastised Lee, shook their heads. "We should begin our business." Katara took her place at the head of the table; Zuko floated over to her.

_This is Zuko's place, not mine,_ thought Katara, and she had a flashback to an argument early on in their marriage.

"_We may rule as a team, but I made it clear that I never wanted to swim in public with all these damn unagi_," _said Katara._

"_But everyone knows that most of my decisions _we_ make _together_. You should be at all the business meetings and just make it official," argued Zuko._

"_But it's still _your _job. I only married _you_, not your job, remember?" smirked Katara._

"_You're evil and totally twisting the issue," grumbled Zuko._

"_No. I'm just sane and want to stay that way," smiled Katara, and she gave him a hearty kiss on the lips._

_If only you could see me now, Zuko_, she thought.

Zuko, innately sensing that Katara could use some comfort, laid a hand on her shoulder (or rather through it). And though she didn't know from where this small shred of comfort had magically sprung, Katara felt a little more confident about publicly taking on the task of ruling – and ruling alone.

"Interior Minister, I believe Zuko likes to start with you," she began, trying to muster a smile of sorts. "Let's hear your report…"

(***)

Zuko kept watching Katara as the days turned into a week, and then into two and into three.

He watched her argue with the ministers about taxes, trade, infrastructure, law and whether the decisions she made were truly in line with Zuko's ideals.

He watched her as she kept vigil over his body, often only getting an hour or two of sleep each night.

On the nights she sneaked away to her study in the palace gardens he watched her cry from the stress and lack of sleep and the agony of not knowing whether he was going to wake up or slip away.

One night he could no longer bear the sound, and as she knelt on the floor sobbing onto the wooden panels below her, he put his arms around her in a futile attempt to give her a hug.

Amazingly, his arms felt solid against her skin. _Hey, I can touch her! _thought Zuko triumphantly.

Katara felt it too. Her reaction was not as positive.

She jumped up in terror, wondering who had managed to enter the room without her hearing _anything_. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

_Okay, maybe that wasn't the wisest approach, but how was I supposed to know? _Zuko stopped to think. _Hey, if I can touch her, then just maybe with a little more effort…_

He floated around to Katara's back again, and this time when his arms surrounded her, he put everything he had into whispering her name.

This time his efforts were not unrewarded.

"_Katara."_

She froze, completely stunned. Not only was the weird presence there again, but it had called her name in a very familiar voice.

"_Zuko?"_ she whispered desperately.

"_I'm here for you, love," _he said, and rested his head on her shoulder.

Katara didn't know if her husband was really there or if she was being delusional, but it didn't matter. She believed. She believed that he was aware, and he was fighting and he would come back to her. And so she just stood there and let Zuko's presence comfort her, her tears now considerably less sorrowful than before.

_Spirits of fire, guardians of the world and everything in it…if you have any mercy at all, please…_**please**…_send me back to her_, pleaded Zuko.

(***)

At the beginning of week four and in the middle of the night, Zuko sat upright in bed and screamed such as he'd never had before.

Katara immediately burst in from an adjacent room, followed swiftly by a nurse and a handful of palace guards.

Zuko blinked painfully and winced. "_My body_ _is on fire_. _Owwwwww,_" he croaked.

"You big wuss," said Katara, tears of joy streaming down her face.

"I should get the doctors," said the nurse, who swiftly disappeared from the room.

"You should go too," whispered Zuko, painfully waving his hand at the guards. "I wish to speak with my wife."

"But your majes-" Katara's venomous look sent them scurrying.

"I'll never complain about your snoring again," said Katara, turning back to her husband.

"You mean I didn't snore?" said Zuko.

"No," said Katara, the tears now flowing twice as strong. "You were as pale and silent as the grave and I kept trying to heal you even though everyone said it wouldn't _do_ anything and then I had to run everything in your absence and _by the spirits how do you _**deal **_with those _**assholes**, I mean, I've heard you complain about them but I never knew and then I…" Katara was almost hysterical.

"Shh, shh shh shh," said Zuko, forcing himself to stroke her cheek. "It's alright. I'm alive. Mostly."

"Don't joke like that. Please…"

"You're the boss," replied Zuko, coughing violently for a few seconds thereafter.

Silence.

"I saw you, you know. I saw you taking care of things while I was asleep."

"...what?"

"I saw you. Watched you, really. I was…outside my body…like a ghost, except I wasn't dead. Not totally. And I saw everything. All the fights, all the tears, all your triumphs…you did good, love." He swallowed. "No…you did great. Better than me, even."

Katara squeezed his hand tightly. "Nonsense. I work best when my partner's beside me."

"You mean _I_ work best when my partner's beside _me_," replied Zuko dryly. "We both know that things would be a disaster without you to straighten me out."

"That's true," said Katara, kissing his forehead.

Eventually the doctors arrived and they poked and prodded and theorized and determined that though he was awake, the Fire Lord would still require weeks more of bed rest before he was fully recovered. When Katara climbed into bed beside him they all vehemently protested; she gave them all an icy look that sent shivers down Zuko's spine, and wisely they all walked away without further comment.

Katara snuggled into the crook of Zuko's neck.

"Go back to sleep," she whispered, kissing his cheek. "But please, wake up. I'll be right here."


	4. Whimsical

**_In which the passage of time is charted by flights of fancy._**

* * *

_When they were five, he stuck a spider down the back of her shirt._

_When they were six, she snuck rocks into his daily tub of blueberries._

_When they were seven, he locked her out of the house during a playdate._

_When they were eight, she stole his gym shorts and flew them up the school flagpole._

_When they were nine, he detuned all the keys in her favorite piano._

_When they were ten, she swapped his Optimus Prime figure with a Bratz doll during the ride to school._

_When they were eleven, he read part of her diary over the school PA system._

_When they were twelve, she let everyone know about his secret crush on Jin Mai Xio._

_When they were thirteen, he hacked her phone to randomly turn on and make farting sounds._

_When they were fourteen, she covertly and randomly swapped lunches with him throughout the year, especially when she got food she knew he hated._

_When they were fifteen, he swapped all her tampons with sugar packets. When she had her period later that week (and was forced to ask Suki for supplies), he apologized by getting her three giant bars of Hershey's Cookies 'n Cream._

_When they were sixteen, she surprised herself by offering to sleep with him, and he surprised himself by saying yes._

_When they were seventeen, he rigged her bookshelf to collapse (safely, of course). She returned the favor by posting a photo of his personalized copy of Twilight to Facebook._

_When they were eighteen, she decided to skip college and travel the world. He wanted to try sex one more time before she left. She said yes._

_When they were nineteen, he sent a photo to her Peace Corps station depicting her in front of a gargantuan mansion and surrounded by burly young men. She did not appreciate the lame photoshop._

_When they were twenty, she sent him two bottles of über-pure Russian vodka with the note "Dare you." He later regretted trying to chug the whole thing at once._

_When they were twenty-one, he took a leave of absence from college, abandoning his pre-law studies in order to follow her around the globe._

_When they were twenty-two, she made him go bungee jumping in New Zealand._

_When they were twenty-three, he snuck her into the Louvre after hours and they made love underneath _Mona Lisa.

_When they were twenty-four, she declared it was time to go home. He didn't argue with her._

_When they were twenty-five, he surprised himself by asking her to marry him, and she surprised herself by saying yes._


	5. Heartstrings

**_In which someone is struck by lightning._**

* * *

"MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!" shouted the paramedics as they rushed the stretcher from the ambulance into hospital. Almost immediately the entourage was swarmed by the waiting team of doctors and nurses.

"Give us the rundown."

"John Doe, Asian descent, mid-thirties; found unconscious outside an office building after being struck by lightning. Patient has suffered severe third degree burns to the chest, arm and leg. BP is 80/40 and dropping."

"Someone page cardio!"

"My God, what happened to his face? Was that the lightning?"

"Don't think so. Old scar tissue."

"Wait…shit! I recognize that guy!" said one of the nurses. "It's Zuko Roiyaru!"

"This is _Ozai's_ kid? **Shit**."

"'Shit' is right," said a grimacing woman in a gray suit, who fell in step with the patient caravan.

"With all due respect Chief Beifong, this isn't an ortho problem."

"No, but this _is_ a problem. Keep this as quiet as possible. Call security, and make sure we get extra people monitoring the cams. _Don't_ call the police. We've had enough trouble with triad members or people associated with them and I don't need this place turning into a shooting gallery."

"You're worried about dirty cops?"

"You're damn right I'm worried about dirty cops! I've had three goddamn patients assassinated by pigshits during my tenure as chief of surgery. I'm not having a fourth.'' Her face softened. "Besides, I know this kid. He's a good person and prefers _not _to be associated with his father. Probably hates him more than anyone else in this city. But that won't stop some prick from taking advantage of that relationship to try and make Ozai lose face. And even though the bastard cares jack shit about what happens to Zuko, he'll still use it as an excuse to make the current gang war even bloodier." Toph's face darkened. "And I will **not** bring that shit down on my hospital. Did you page cardio?"

"Yes, chief. Dr. Adlet's on her way."

(***)

When Zuko opened his eyes and looked around the room, he immediately noticed three things.

One, he was still alive.

Two, that there was a massive scar on his chest.

Three, DEAR GOD EVERYTHING HURT LIKE HELL. But he was still alive.

Four, his arm and leg were wrapped up like a mummy.

Five, DEAR GOD EVERYTHING HURT LIKE HELL.

"Mr. Roiyaru? Can you hear me?" said a voice to his left. He turned his head to see the speaker.

His mouth fell open slightly.

Six, the most gorgeous woman he'd ever seen in his life was standing next to his bed. He nearly mistook her for a nurse before he saw the nametag on her scrubs. "Katara Adlet, M.D., F.A.C.S., Department of Cardiology."

_Wow,_ thought Zuko.

Katara, for her part, couldn't help but stare at Zuko's golden eyes. _I've never seen eyes like his before…they're…beautiful_. Then she remembered who and what he was. _Get a grip, woman. He's a patient. And the son of an infamous crime lord. You're a doctor. And you're engaged. Focus on the job._

"We had to keep you sedated for a little while longer. It was just about time for you to come out of it, so I came in to see how you were doing," said Katara.

"Um…" began Zuko.

"Do you remember what happened?" said the doctor.

"I had forgotten my umbrella in the car, as usual…and I got held up by that prick from mailroom – Jet's his name; he's a real _asshole_…so by the time I got to the parking lot it was _really_ coming down. And then the air smelled funny and the next thing I know I'm…here."

"You were struck by lightning, sir."

_I'll say_, thought Zuko, eyeing the lovely creature before him.

"Your heart sustained a fair amount of damage from the strike, particularly to the fibers controlling your valves. Fortunately," she said with a grin, "I'm one of the top cardiothoracic surgeons in the region and I was able to repair the affected areas. We'll have to keep you here for observation, hopefully no more than a week or so. And if we're lucky this won't induce any heart problems further down the line." She paused. "We had plastics take a look at your burns; there's minimal muscle damage and nothing looks necrotic, so we'll keep it covered for the time being and once you've had some more recovery time we can see about getting you some skin grafts." She hesitated. "We can also see about-"

"No," said Zuko firmly, "the face mark stays." He paused and swallowed. "Have you contacted anyone about my being here?"

"No," said Katara, hesistantly. "Normally we would've called a family member or some other person of interest but we thought it…_prudent_ given who you…" She lamely waved her hand at him. "We thought we'd keep this quiet for the time being."

"Is that why the security dudes are there?" asked Zuko.

Katara glanced at the door where two white-shirted guards stood vigil. "Orders of Dr. Beifong, our chief of surgery. For _your_ protection, not ours."

Zuko closed his eyes and sighed. "Thank you. I appreciate that." He opened them again. "There _is_ someone you can call, though. I have an uncle – someone I trust. He lives in Italy now for…a _number_ of reasons." He gave her the number.

"Thank you, Mr. Roiyaru," she said scribbling the contact information down on her prescription pad. "I'm going to have the nurses come by in about ten minutes or so to do a workup and give us a better idea of how you're doing." She fidgeted slightly. "I hate to leave so soon, but I have to do final pre-op check for a lung transplant surgery. I'll see you later Mr. Roiyaru."

As she turned to walk away, Zuko reached out (_ah, shit, that hurts!_) and grabbed her hand.

A jolt went through both of them.

"Dr. Ad- _Katara_," began Zuko. "Thank you. For saving my life."

"…you're welcome Mr. Roiyaru," replied Katara, who was beating down a blush and unsure why she had to do so.

"Please, call me Zuko."

"Alright. I'll see you later…Zuko."


	6. Faded

_**In which something is lost. **_(a series of haiku)

* * *

_They sob in silence_

_The body lays in respite_

_All warmth gone away  
_

* * *

_Death is natural_

_But dying cruel and painful_

_Slowly even worse_

* * *

_Bright and beautiful_

_A mind full of hope and love _

_Was eaten away_

* * *

_Friends and family_

_Husband belovéd for years_

_Memories all fade_

* * *

_She could not see them_

_The black fog of her disease_

_Consumed her being_

* * *

_The last breath of life_

_Was comfort, not suffering_

_Tortured soul at rest_

* * *

_The pyre burns hot_

_But Zuko's tears feel ice cold_

"_My love – wait for me."_


	7. Seasons

_**In which there is sex. Lots of it.**  
_

* * *

_Spring_

Zuko sat against the cherry tree, eyes closed in anticipation; a silk robe lay loosely about his shoulders and left his naked body exposed to the world. Katara, similarly garbed, slowly crawled up Zuko's legs. The Fire Lord moaned in relief as his wife took his prick in hand and then sank onto it, enveloping him in her familiar warmth and wetness.

Katara's hands came to rest on his shoulders, and she smirked at Zuko in satisfaction. "Mmmm…" she said, playing up the lust in her voice. She squeezed her muscles experimentally and then began to move.

Zuko moaned again. "Nggg…"

"You're being unusually quiet," said Katara, who added a hip roll to her current up-down motions. "Let's see if we can't change that…"

_By the spirits, you never ceases to amaze me,_ _love_, thought Zuko, who leaned forward to plant a kiss on her dusky skin, just above her beasts. He moved his hands, which had previously been clenching the grass in ecstasy, to grip Katara's wonderful hips.

_I will not finish before you, woman. Not this time._

Then all of sudden, Katara stopped moving and burst into a giggling fit.

"What's so funny?" asked Zuko, opening his eyes. He was disappointed that their tryst had ground to a halt and was curious as to what could possibly derail _Katara_ (who was the world's _ultimate_ sex kitten in his eyes) from getting her jollies.

Katara tried to fight through her giggles. "You…ridiculous…cherry blossoms…all over…I can't…" She finally lost control and went into outright laughter.

Zuko glanced at his shoulders and ran his fingers through his hair. A shower of petals was the result. He started to laugh himself, then noticed something, stopped, and smirked. "So do you. _Sweetie_."

Katara immediately started punching Zuko's shoulders. "WHAT HAVE I SAID ABOUT CALLING ME THAT!"

Zuko yelped in pain and threw up his arms to defend himself. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

(***)

It took a while for Katara to calm down, but eventually the sex resumed.

Zuko finished first, of course. He grumbled something about "always losing."

Katara kissed him on the forehead and told him he was being silly.

By the time they were done, the ground was littered with cherry blossoms.

* * *

_Summer_

Zuko awoke to find that Katara was not in bed. Clad only in some red silk trousers, he decided to go looking for his missing wife. A quick search of the house revealed no sign of her. It was only when Zuko went to a window and looked out on the beach that he discovered where his wife had gone.

Katara was standing naked and knee deep in the shallows when she felt Zuko's arms around her waist and the scratchiness of his beard at her neck. "Hey there, stranger," she said playfully.

"Hey yourself," he replied. He glanced at her naked form. "Shouldn't you be wearing something? Not that I'm complaining, mind you."

"This trip wasn't announced and we opted for the most secluded place on Ember Island instead of your family home. No one's going to come snooping."

"Any particular reason for your midnight swim?"

"It was too hot inside," complained Katara. "I tried taking a bath, but the water was warm too. I made ice, but the cooling effect wasn't worth the mess I was making what with it melting all the time, and I'd have to keep drying things up so they wouldn't get damaged – so I decided to come out here instead. The water's not that much colder, either, but the breeze is nice."

"Why not make an ice floe? You have all this water here…"

"Too lazy now," said Katara grinning. "And that would just insta-melt too and you know it."

Zuko kissed Katara on the neck. "Fire Nation summers are like that. It's worse in the capital."

"Don't remind me," groaned Katara. "That's the whole reason we came out here in the first place."

"We'll make a proper Fire Nation citizen out of you yet," replied Zuko, kissing her on the neck again.

"Mmm…" murmured Katara. "That's nice. Keep doing that."

"As you wish," breathed Zuko in response.

(***)

After a few minutes Zuko's left hand slid upwards to cup Katara's breast, to tease a nipple hardened from the wind and from his lips pressing against her skin.

Katara rubbed her backside against Zuko's groin, and sighed when she felt the growing bulge of his erection against her plump cheeks. The waterbender smiled as Zuko's breathing picked up in response. Then she gasped as Zuko's right hand slid down her stomach, his fingers tangling themselves in the dark curls between her legs and brushing _ever so slightly_ against her clit.

"Don't start something…you don't intend to finish, Zuko," breathed Katara.

Zuko slid a finger down and curled it inside her. Katara cried out in ecstasy.

"Finish you, I will," he growled.

(***)

After her orgasm subsided, Katara turned to face Zuko and they kissed each other for the first time since this whole escapade started. She grabbed the waistline of his's pajamas and pulled them down; his member sprung forth from its confines and Zuko said a silent "thank you" to the spirits above. Katara grabbed him by the hand and started to pull him deeper into the water.

"What…" began Zuko.

"Do you trust me?" said Katara, a look of uncertainty in her eyes.

"With my life. You know that," said Zuko without hesitation.

"Hold me," said Katara, firmly. "Close your eyes."

Zuko did as she asked.

And then the water was rushing all around them.

He was being pulled – they were being pulled – further into the ocean. He almost panicked but then remembered Katara's words.

He had trust. He had faith. And he did not let go.

Then suddenly his head was dry and he could feel air around him.

"Open your eyes, Zuko."

Their heads and shoulders were encased in a large air bubble, but the rest of their bodies were floating in the water. He could see the ocean floor below, and all the amazing flora and fauna that covered it. He glanced overhead and could just make out the surface of the water above.

Zuko turned back to face Katara, whose face managed to convey both satisfaction and embarrassment, all crowned by the magnificent blush now gracing her skin. "Katara…" he stammered. "This is…you are an amazing, talent, beautiful-"

"Love me," she whispered, in the most honest, endearing tone Zuko had ever heard.

All he could muster was a hoarse "_fuck yes,_" and with a shudder of passion Zuko slid inside Katara, burying himself to the hilt.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and held on for dear life.

Summer at the beach would never be the same again.

* * *

_Fall_

The Harvest Festival was an important occasion for the Fire Nation. It was a time of celebration if the crops had been plentiful, or it was a time for reflection if the crops had been poor. In any case, it was tradition for the Fire Lord and the Fire Sages to ask the spirits for their continued blessings upon the nation and its produce; they would thank them if the harvests were good and beg forgiveness if the harvests were bad.

It was an opportunity for children to have a few days off from school and spend it with their family.

It was an opportunity for farmers to show off their produce to large numbers of people, as well as attract the attention of the few wholesalers in the country.

It was an opportunity for artisans and entertainment professionals to find new patrons.

It was also an opportunity for lovers of all ages to sneak away from the prying eyes of parents or chaperones and disappear into empty tents and secluded alleyways to explore the physical expressions of love without being disturbed.

(***)

"We're…_ungh_…going to get ca…_ahh_…caught!" hissed Zuko, trying half-heartedly to stop Katara from kissing his dick.

"You worry too much," replied Katara nonchalantly, and with a playfully menacing look in her eyes ran her tongue down the length of his shaft.

"Nyaaaaaaa…" cried Zuko.

"Shush!" said Katara, who brought a hand up to massage his balls. "We don't want to the whole festival to hear us now, do we?"

"I'm supposed to be giving a speech in three minutes. _Three minuuuuaaaahhh…_" Zuko's words turned to mush as Katara took the tip of his manhood in her mouth.

"More...than…enough…time," said Katara as she moved her lips back and forth on the head. After deciding that he'd had enough torture, she finally swallowed the whole thing in one go.

Zuko stopped caring about whether he'd make the podium on time.

He grabbed Katara's shoulders (_because heaven help him if he messed up the hair it had taken hours to prepare_) and slowly thrust back and forth. Her tongue and lips felt _amazing_ on his sensitive skin; when her teeth grazed him he yelped in surprise, but then saw the mirth in her eyes and frowned at her. _Not cool_.

_You know you like it_, was her lidded reply.

And the truth was that he _did_ like it. He could feel his release coming closer and closer.

Zuko was so engrossed in the action in front of him that he didn't notice that Katara's _other_ hand was sliding stealthily past his scrotum and up his butt cheeks; it was only when he felt the slight pressure at his entrance that he realized what she was doing.

The digit, after encountering some resistance, slid into Zuko's ass.

"What are you…" began Zuko incredulously.

Then Katara's finger crooked forward and any misgivings Zuko had about the intrusion faded away. The pleasure was…it was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. He felt his balls tighten and the familiar glow of orgasm passed through him, burning brighter and stronger than usual.

Katara murmured appreciatively as she swallowed his seed. She removed the finger, disengaged from his dick with a slurp, discreetly wiped her mouth on the inside of her sleeve, kissed her husband and grinned.

"Stop worrying, hon. No one will ever know what we've been up to. Now pull up your pants," she said in a mocking tone. "You have a speech to deliver."

(***)

Later, when a five-year-old asked the Fire Lord why he had a wet patch on the front of his robes, Zuko turned bright red with embarrassment.

Katara couldn't stop laughing for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

_Winter_

Katara scrabbled at the furs, trying to find some sort of purchase, but failed miserably. She collapsed on her arms and let her face fall to the ground. She tried to make words come out of her mouth, but all she could manage was a frenzied panting. She could hear the raging storm outside, a blizzard that was trying _so hard_ to match the frenzied crescendo of noise and sweat and sex inside the igloo, but to no avail.

Zuko had an iron grip on Katara's waist, his hips slapping against her ass with every single stroke and his cock pounding her insides into jelly. He felt so primal, so animalistic, so _powerful_ – and that was to say nothing of the effect his wife was having on him: the sight of his cock sliding between her thighs, her luscious ass in the air, watching the muscles of her back twitch and move as she tried to maintain some semblance of control – she was a dark goddess inside this world of white ice and snow, and she was **his for the taking.**

_Shit, when did I get so possessive?_ thought Zuko in surprise. But then the muscles of her cunt _rolled_ around him and any last thoughts of being _loving_ or _respectful_ were driven from his brain.

Katara, in the meantime, was beginning to get frustrated. She had slowly been getting closer and closer to cumming, but things just didn't seem to be going fast enough. While Zuko had done some cunnilingus earlier, it was only to get her warmed up and he had not touched her since. In fact, in a move uncharacteristic of her physical intimacy with Zuko, Katara had not received a single orgasm since they had started fucking (and this past forty-five minutes hadn't been about "making love" or even "sex" – this was pure, base, no-holds-barred _fucking_).

Katara tried to reach for her nub to relieve the tension. Zuko grabbed her hand – both her hands – and pinned her to the floor.

"No," he growled.

"Zuko...Zuko, _please_," she whined.

"**No**," he said again. "Not this time. This time you're **mine**_._" There was such fierceness and eroticism in this command that it sent shivers up Katara's spine and knocked her orgasm threshold _way _up.

Zuko's strokes came harder and faster now. "This time…_bitch_…" (He was rewarded with a gasp and a _massive_ muscle clench from Katara) "You will…come…before me…if it's…the last…thing…"

Katara screamed as at long last the blesséd orgasm finally rushed through her. Her muscles quivered and spasmed; spots flashed before her eyes and it felt like her entire body was on fire. Zuko was only seconds behind, and after enduring so much abuse Katara took an odd comfort in the familiar warmth of his release inside her.

Zuko pulled out with a moan and collapsed into a sitting position behind the Fire Lady. Katara's legs finally gave out and she slid forward unceremoniously to lie flat on the furs. She still had just enough strength to turn over on her side, glancing back at her husband in astonishment.

_In the name of all that is pure and holy upon this earth…_

"Holy fuck…Zuko…where…the hell…did _that…_come from?" asked Katara, breathlessly.

"I…" panted Zuko, "have no idea. I'm sorry…I don't even… _fuck_," he added. "Something about you just…set me off…by the spirits, you…you were…incredibly…_incredibly_ hot tonight."

Katara looked lovingly at Zuko. "Pregnancy…does that to…a woman's...desirability."

Zuko looked like someone had struck him on the head. "Pregnancy...?" He asked weakly.

"Two months. Little sickness. No mood swings…yet. Incredibly horny. Been…touching myself…all sorts of places…" She managed to stretch out her foot and wiggle it against Zuko's cock. "You were…away so much…and when you were home…too tired for sex…" Her expression darkened. "**Only** reason…I let you fuck me…like such a big brute…I mean…there's rough…and there's _rough_…and use such…_language_…" She blushed, hoping it would convey disapproval rather than arousal. "Don't worry…you can't harm…the baby…with sex…not this early, anyway." She grinned. "But…we are _definitely_…trying that position…again. Not the most…romantic…or respectful…but** fuck me it felt good**."

"You're pregnant?" is all Zuko could muster in response.

"Yes!" said Katara, laughing. "We're having…a baby." She paused. "I…can't get up. Literally…you turned my limbs to goo…bastard."

Zuko crawled forward to kiss his wife. He lay down beside her and stroked the area between mound and navel.

"You're pregnant," he whispered, tears filling his eyes. "We're going to have a baby."

"We're going to have a baby," replied Katara, closing her eyes as Zuko spooned against her back.


End file.
